Describe a mistake you keep replaying
Tool: What to do when you keep replaying a mistake in your sport.
For athletes aged 16 and older. Set aside about ten minutes to complete the worksheet, then try the steps during practice.
Mistakes are part of sport, including professional sport. Even an NHL player can miss a pass or lose the puck. You can learn from a mistake without replaying it while the next play is happening.
Think of a recent mistake that kept coming back to mind when it was time to keep playing, running or practising. For example, you might miss a pass and replay it while your teammates move on.
Write down the mistake, your first reaction and what your sport required you to do next. Then use the five steps on page 2 to practise bringing your attention back to what you need to do.
You do not have to feel calm or confident before continuing with practice or competition. This worksheet has no score or test of mental strength.
Keep this within ordinary sport practice. Do not use it to push through pain, ignore medical advice or stay in an unsafe situation. If distress is persistent, worsening or affecting life outside sport, speak with an appropriate health professional. This worksheet does not assess mental health or replace care.
Write what you will do after a mistake
A reset is a short sequence of actions you practise after a mistake. Use the example below to write your own steps in the five boxes.
Example: Noah lets in a goal
Noah, a fictional goalkeeper, notices a shot too late. When play resumes, he is still thinking about the goal he let in.
| Step | What Noah does |
|---|---|
| 1. Say what happened | “I saw the shot too late.” |
| 2. Take a breath or make a small movement | He breathes out comfortably and touches the goalpost. The breath is optional. |
| 3. Look at what is happening now | He looks for the ball and where his defenders are standing. |
| 4. Tell yourself what to do | He says, “Tell the defenders where to stand.” |
| 5. Move, get set or speak | He calls to one defender and gets into position. |
Write your five steps
Keep each answer short enough to remember during practice. Choose words you would actually use. You can use the movement without changing your breathing.
Try the steps during practice
Choose a safe part of your next practice where you can try these steps after a mistake. Use a break or natural pause; do not stop every movement to go through the worksheet.
Try the same steps three times during practice. Afterward, write down what happened:
Did you return to the task you named on page 1? Look at what you did, even if you still felt nervous.
If the steps were hard to remember, start with just the small movement and the instruction you wrote on page 2. Change just one of your five steps before you try them again.
Copy your steps onto this card
Copy your answers from pages 2 and 3 onto the card. Keep it in your kit or copy the answers into a phone note. Read it during a break in practice.
If remembering the card becomes another source of pressure, use just the small movement and your short instruction. Practise within your current technical and medical limits.